Officer Arkell's legacy will live on

For the last two weeks we have been reporting about the tragic line of duty death of Brentwood Police officer Stephen Arkell.

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seacoastonline.com

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Posted May. 23, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Posted May. 23, 2014 at 2:00 AM

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For the last two weeks we have been reporting about the tragic line of duty death of Brentwood Police officer Stephen Arkell.

And even though we have covered the tragedy from the start, it never felt more real than the moment when a Rockingham County dispatcher gave the last call to close officer Arkell's memorial service.

"Rockingham calling Brentwood 87. Rockingham Dispatch calling Brentwood 87. This is the last call for Brentwood 87. No response from Brentwood 87. Officer Stephen Arkell is 10-2 after 15 years of service to the citizens of Brentwood. Although you are gone, you will never be forgotten. End of watch May 12, 2014. We will have the watch from here. May you rest in peace. KCB 958. Rockingham County Sheriff's Office in Brentwood, N.H. Clear."

The finality of that call hit like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, we were forced to accept that it was time to move forward without officer Arkell in the community.

As difficult as the last two weeks have been, there have been happy memories and funny stories shared. As a result of these stories, the entire Seacoast region got a chance to know how much of an amazing person officer Arkell was.

And while we mourned, we also got a sense of joy from the way officer Arkell lived his life. How can you not smile when you hear about how officer Arkell went the extra mile to learn the game of lacrosse, just so he could spend more time with his daughters? As luck would have it, he turned out to be one heck of a coach.

There were countless other stories of officer Arkell helping the community in his roles as police and animal control officer and carpenter.

Now comes the hard part; moving forward and getting back to some form of normalcy.

As impossible as this task may seem, there were many words of wisdom shared during officer Arkell's service that may help.

In addressing officer Arkell's family, State Police Col. Robert Quinn told his daughters that by accomplishing their dreams, they will finish what their father started.

We have no doubt that officer Arkell's daughters, Lauren and Kim, will not only accomplish their dreams, but in some way continue their father's legacy by making their communities, whether it be Brentwood or elsewhere, better places.

"What Steve possessed you can't buy in a store. They don't sell integrity. They don't sell character. You just can't purchase sense of duty," Exeter High School Athletic Director William Ball said during officer Arkell's memorial service.

Finding small ways to carry on officer Arkell's legacy is how the community will ultimately move forward and heal.

While the man may be gone, what he stood for remains.

As Gov. Maggie Hassan said, officer Arkell is a "true Granite State hero" and a "pillar of his community."

It's also up to community to keep his legacy alive. There are small things that we can all do that can make the community a better place.

Officer Arkell built a strong community, it's up to us to take if from here.

Please keep his family in your thoughts during this difficult time.

A fund has been established to assist them. Donations can be made to the Mrs. Stephen Arkell Fund, c/o TD Bank, 53 Church St., Kingston, N.H. 03848. Donations can also be made at any TD Bank branch.

An official fund-raising site, www.stevearkell.com, was also created to accept online donations to benefit the family.